Prospective students in Ames, Iowa, have several options when picking a postsecondary institution, including universities, colleges, and specialty schools. We compare the traditional colleges and universities using the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to help students make their decision.
Closest Schools to Ames, Iowa
The closest schools to Ames are a fairly even mix of 2-year and 4-year institutions. A few of the 4-year schools offer both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. One of the schools is located directly in Ames, while the others are no more than 30 miles away.
- Iowa State University (0.4 miles from downtown)
- Des Moines Area Community College (21.2 miles from downtown)
- Grand View University (29.1 miles from downtown)
- Purdue Global-Des Moines Campus (29.4 miles from downtown)
- Drake University (29.6 miles from downtown)
Largest Schools Near Ames, Iowa
The largest schools near Ames include two community colleges. For students wanting to attend larger institutions, there are mostly public options.
- Iowa State University (30,708 students)
- Des Moines Area Community College (20,536 students)
- Iowa Central Community College (5,009 students)
- Drake University (4,875 students)
- Grand View University (1,757 students)
Lowest Net Price
The NCES defines the net price of a school as the average total cost of in-state attendance minus the amount of financial aid the average full-time undergrad student received. The net prices for schools located within 50 miles of Ames ranged from about $7,000 to more than $15,000 in 2020-2021, based on NCES figures. These schools had the lowest net prices:
- Marshalltown Community College ($7,068)
- Des Moines Area Community College ($9,667)
- Iowa Central Community College ($10,507)
- Ellsworth Community College ($10,623)
- Iowa State University ($15,422)
Highest Graduation Rate
A school's overall graduation rate is the percentage of full-time undergraduate students who are able to graduate within 150% of the 'normal time' required by their program of choice. Many schools in the Ames area had graduation rates greater than 50% for 2021.
- Drake University (78% graduation rate)
- Iowa State University (76% graduation rate)
- Simpson College (69% graduation rate)
- Grand View University (51% graduation rate)
The Ames, Iowa, area is home to private and public institutions that give students a wide range of graduation rates, prices, sizes, and locations to compare when making a decision on where to attend school.
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